The present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for creating and conducting a conference (e.g., a personal computer (PC) based conference) between individual users. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for scheduling conferences and for automatically enrolling conference attendees through a computer system or the like.
As is known in the art, a conference, such as a PC-based conference, allows two or more conference attendees to communicate over a network (e.g., telephone lines) with each other while sharing video images (e.g., images of attendee's faces). PC-based conferencing also allows attendees to share screen outputs of computer software programs (e.g., POWERPOINT.RTM. 4.0 presentation software, EXCEL.RTM. 4.0 spreadsheet software, and WORD 6.0 word-processing software, products of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.). Accordingly, a first user can run a POWERPOINT.RTM. application at his/her computer and the screen output at the computer can be displayed at a video terminal or computer of a remote second user as long as the first user's computer and second user's video terminal/computer are communicating with each other. Moreover, attendees may be able to "share" a file (such as a word-processing file) such that each attendee can alter the file as attendees watch.
An example of a known conference system is the Intel TeamStation.TM. System from Intel Corporation. The Intel TeamStation.TM. System typically includes a Pentium.RTM. II processor-based central computer with built-in networking capability, a motorized camera, a full-duplex audio system, and a high-resolution multimedia monitor. Video conferencing software is executed at the central computer to facilitate the connecting of other PCs to the central computer as well as the conferencing connection to remote sites (e.g., over a network). The Intel TeamStation.TM. System is based, in part, on Intel's ProShare(t program that allows users of PCs to conduct video conferences while sharing documents displayed on each monitor.
The T.120 standard (International Telecommunications Union (ITU), 1995) is a standard for data conferencing applications. The Windows.RTM. 95 and Windows.RTM. NT operating systems (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.) support the T.120 data conferencing standard and an application such as NetMeeting 2.0 (Microsoft Corporation) allows a user to connect his/her PC to other PCs that are running the NetMeeting software. In turn, Intel's ProShare.RTM. program can be integrated with the NetMeeting software to connect with other PCs over a Local Area Network (LAN) or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) using the appropriate communications standard (e.g., the H.320 and H.323 standards, respectively, ITU, 1995).
To allow for the sharing of video output on a monitor (e.g., of a PC, laptop computer, etc.) among attendees of a conference, the computer must be properly connected to the network with which the attendees are a communicating. Examples of such networks include: Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs), ISDN, Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), wireless systems (e.g., radio frequency, cellular, infra-red), a combination of these systems, etc. This may require making physical connections between the computer and the network and executing appropriate software at the network (e.g., by a central computer) and/or the computer so as to become a part of the conference. For example, a potential conference attendee may need to dial into a multipoint conference control unit (MCU) using a POTS telephone number, and then physically cause software to be executed locally to complete the connection to the conference.
To make entry into a computer-based conference or network simpler, there is a need for a method and apparatus that allows a potential conference attendee to automatically enroll or join a conference or allows a computer to automatically log into a network. There is also a need for a method and apparatus that allows a computer system to keep track of conferences and scheduling to facilitate enrollment in conferences.